Technical Field
Embodiments generally relate to online identification and authentication of a user. More particularly, embodiments relate to utilizing personal credentials (e.g., personal key pairs, online identities) to dynamically identify and authenticate a familiar user.
Discussion
Public key infrastructure may utilize credentials (e.g., certificates) issued by a certificate authority (CA) to establish a basis of trust. However, a challenge with utilizing public key infrastructure may be that while credentials may authenticate the identity of a first user with respect to the certificate authority, the first user may not authenticate herself to a user with credentials issued by a second certificate authority. Furthermore, if the first user also has credentials issued by the second certificate authority (as well as the first), the first user may not be able to use either to authenticate herself to the second user.